


i swear that i'll be around for you

by silveryink



Series: Blow Us All Away [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Asexual Zuko (Avatar), Background Relationships, Biromantic Zuko (Avatar), Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, He's also a bit of a disaster, Humor, Introspection, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Worldbuilding, Zuko Takes Himself on a Life-Changing Field Trip, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, adoptive families, and now his council does too!, as in it's peppered in throughout inner monologues, but everyone loves him anyway, i just wrote a section in it that got sad, the Fire Nation loves Zuko, this isn't a sad fic i swear, this reads like crack but i swear i didn't mean it to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27545059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveryink/pseuds/silveryink
Summary: [Zuko wonders if he’s doing things out of order. He’s done it before, while getting his motivations and life goals in order, completely muddling up the steps in between and generally making a mess before actually committing to the right (or best) choice. He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what he did, again. This time, though, it doesn’t feel like he’s doing things out of order – not that he has any frame of reference, but he’s happy so it probably shouldn’t matter, right?He has to admit, though, Jin’s the one who says it best when he visits Uncle in Ba Sing Se with a baby in his arms:“And what sort of sequence of events in your so-called life-changing field trip leads you to adopting a child?”]-Or, the one where Zuko tries to play matchmaker and accidentally adopts a child along the way.
Relationships: Druk & Zuko (Avatar), Jeong Jeong/Piandao (Avatar), Piandao & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Blow Us All Away [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901056
Comments: 10
Kudos: 269





	i swear that i'll be around for you

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the direct sequel to [make the world safe and sound](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25188541), ft. two babies and their Fire Lord dad
> 
> You don't need to read the whole series to understand this story, but reading the one I've linked above might provide some context about some of the things that have happened so far in the timeline.
> 
> As part of the series chronology, this takes place some time after the last scene in mtwsas, so when Zuko is in his early thirties. As a part of the thematic chronology of Zuko going on field trips and adopting children, this directly follows mtwsas. Also, this idea has been living in my mind rent-free since I posted the other fic, so it's been a ling time incoming.
> 
> Title from Dear Theodosia.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

Zuko wonders if he’s doing things out of order. He’s done it before, while getting his motivations and life goals in order, completely muddling up the steps in between and generally making a mess before actually committing to the right (or best) choice. He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what he did, _again_. This time, though, it doesn’t feel like he’s doing things out of order – not that he has any frame of reference, but he’s _happy_ so it probably shouldn’t matter, right?

He has to admit, though, Jin’s the one who says it best when he visits Uncle in Ba Sing Se with a baby in his arms:

“And what sort of sequence of events in your so-called life-changing field trip leads you to adopting a child?”

“Well…”

* * *

It probably starts when Zuko’s council of ministers starts trying to set him up for marriage.

He’s not sure what does it – his age, the fact that he’s the only Fire Lord in centuries to be crowned unmarried, or that he has no legal heir (except Uncle, who technically could take the throne but wouldn’t for anything less than an emergency), but it leads to several awkward conversations at formal dinners and festivals that mostly consist of noblemen in his court foisting their daughters onto him. Then someone finds out about the dates he’d gone on in Ba Sing Se with Mahesh, and now the nobles seem to be equally willing to be foisting their sons onto him too.

He's not sure how that last part helps in the legal heir thing, but he does mitigate that catastrophe by naming Mai as his successor in case an accident befalls him. She chews him out a little for it, but ultimately doesn’t mind when he clarifies that it’s only for a worst-case scenario, and that he’d most probably have a kid who would inherit the position from him when they’re of age. She gets that it’s a sign that he trusts her deeply, enough to sign away his nation to her in event of his death.

Not that that’s likely, since all the assassination attempts have dried out, but Surya’s always pestering him about the importance of a backup plan, so this at least assuages his advisors a little. Mai’s also one of the most competent people in his court as the Minister of Youth and Child Welfare, so it’s safe to say that she’d know what to do in case she had to take the throne.

 _Just in case_ , he repeats, because Mai looks close to splitting him into tiny ribbons when he points this out. _Not that it’s going to happen._

He hopes Mahesh is left out of this drama, and fortunately he does, by settling down in Republic City as a teacher. They’d exchanged a few words since Ba Sing Se, and Zuko’s glad that he found another friend in the man, even if they’ve long since stopped dating.

“I’m surprised you didn’t see this coming,” he snickers when Zuko complains to him about this phenomenon one day in Republic City. “I mean, you are technically the Fire Nation’s most eligible bachelor.”

“I’ve decided I no longer want you for a friend,” Zuko deadpans. “But seriously, is it weird that I want to prioritise the needs of my people over my personal life? And I don’t mean that in an unhealthy way, I genuinely like doing things the way I’m doing them.”

“I think it’s very _you_ ,” Mahesh says carefully. “Even back in Ba Sing Se, if you had something on your mind, something you wanted to achieve, you never stopped – and I’m guessing you still don’t – until you actually do it. And making the Fire Nation a better place, both in name and in practice, seems like it might take more than one lifetime.”

“Someone should have told Aang to rule the place,” Zuko comments, but he dips his head in hopes of hiding his blush. “I meant – I know we went out for a bit in Ba Sing Se, and I genuinely liked you back then, but my love life has never been the forefront of my priorities, even when things were going great.”

Mahesh shrugs. “Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with it – I had this teacher in Ba Sing Se University who lived and breathed her work. She never got married, said that she never wanted to, that she was happy the way she was. So even if it’s not a common decision, I don’t think there’s anything you have to be worried about.”

“Who says I’m worried?” he doesn’t mean to get defensive, but this topic has bothered him for a while – and a lot more than he thought, apparently.

Mahesh just shoots him a _look_ and pushes his cup of tea closer to him. Zuko automatically lifts it and takes a sip before scrunching up his nose.

“What in Vaatu’s name is _this_?”

“Ginseng,” the other man snickers.

“This can’t be _tea_ ,” Zuko protests. “No, shut up, I’ve been poisoned with stuff that tastes better than this.”

Mahesh frowns a little at that. “I didn’t realise–”

“Early stages,” Zuko quickly rushes to explain. It had been bad enough with Katara and Suki, who’d looked ready to murder his would-be assassin and then _him_ , and he doesn’t want a repeat of that. “A lot of people weren’t happy that I wanted to end the war. Nobles, mostly. Things are fine now. They’ve been fine for _years_.”

“Except that you keep having too many people you’re allowed to date. I know you’ll figure it out, but I want to know what your uncle thinks about this.”

Zuko lets his head fall back against the wall with a loud _thunk_. A few of the tea shop’s other patrons frown at him, concerned, but quickly go back to their business. He’s loved the invisibility of shops like this, and the Jasmine Dragon is no exception. Thinking about the Jasmine Dragon and his uncle always sends an ache through his heart, though, and Mahesh must notice the change in his expression with the way he hastily tries to change the topic.

“I know you miss him,” he exlpians, and Zuko shakes his head.

“No, it’s okay. He’s been after this since I became a teenager, you know? Finding love, and all of that.”

“I think I know a little about that,” he says cheekily, and Zuko rolls his eyes. “He practically shoved you into my arms that day when I asked you out.”

That, Zuko remembers, was a very literal thing too. Zuko had tripped over the hem of his robes, unused to the uniform’s length (he’s still not used to it, something his friends take delight in teasing him about) and a little off-balance, and nearly fallen onto his face. Mahesh had reacted on instinct, catching him before he fell, and that had been a _very_ awkward start to an overall nice evening out.

“Yeah, yeah. He still likes to be cryptic about it, but he stopped pushing when I sat down and told him that just because I liked girls and guys, it didn’t mean I wanted to date them at the time.”

“Sounds nice,” Mahesh says sincerely. “Good to know that you’re learning to communicate like a healthy person.”

Zuko huffs a soft laugh. “Well. It’s about time. Anyway, he’s being respectful of my boundaries, but he’s right about one thing – I may need to marry and have heirs soon.”

“Gross,” he says cheerfully.

“I’m thirty-one, Mahesh,” Zuko says dryly. “And I have no heir. It’s not just personal now, it’ll be a succession crisis if I die with no heirs.”

“I think that has been a problem for the last fifteen years,” Mahesh replies, equally dry. “Let’s say something happens, your heir needs to step up in the next five years. What are they going to do, crown a _baby_?”

“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense to me either. Mai agreed to stand in if that happened, not that it’s likely, but she won’t rule the Fire Nation for a long term. And Uncle’s technically a viable successor, but…”

It’s no secret that Uncle’s getting older as well. Zuko’s dreading this upward crawl of age but tries not to think about it much. Well. He allows himself one day to spiral a year, usually the anniversary of getting his scar, and he lets himself worry about it that day.

“I get it,” Mahesh says sympathetically. “Besides, he’s been out of the political sphere for a while now, so it makes sense that he might be out of the loop when it comes to ruling, even if he’s got the decorum down pat. I know you don’t like planning much–”

“Hey–”

“But you run the palace like a well-oiled machine. Seriously, it’s horrifying.”

“This isn’t helping. You’re not helping. Where is this even going?”

“Isn’t that what we all want to know?”

Zuko jabs him in the side. “If you start talking like my uncle, I _will_ set your tunic on fire.”

He wouldn’t, and both of them knew it, but it feels nice to be able to joke about it without getting wary looks from others.

Mahesh lifts his hands placatingly. “I’m just saying, I’m sure he trusts your judgement. And I know you’ll figure it out, you’ve done it before.”

Zuko smiles. “Thanks, Mahesh.”

“Eh. I’d say anytime, but the sun’s setting and Druk ‘gets cranky’, so… whenever you’re around?”

“Whenever I’m around,” Zuko promises, signaling for one of the waiters to bring over a bill. They seem surprised for a moment that he replicates the gesture that most employees pick up so that they don’t have to yell across the shop, but recover quickly and snatch their order from the front desk and bring it over. Zuko quickly counts out the correct amount and tip, nodding at the harried employee in silent thanks.

Mahesh joins him outside.

“You should come by to Caldera City sometime,” Zuko invites before their paths diverge. “We’ve got a good library now, and I think you’ll like some of the things in the national museum as well.”

“I’ll be sure to try,” Mahesh says, lighting up at the prospect, and waves.

Zuko waves back and grins when Druk flaps onto his shoulder and drapes himself across his back like a limp noodle. He’s getting a little heavy, but it’s nothing Zuko can’t manage. He’s kind of dreading the time Druk will be too big to curl up and sleep for hours on his shoulder while he’s working, if he’s being honest – but, he reasons, then he’ll be big enough to curl into his lap instead, and he’ll have a good excuse to skip meetings.

 _Best to leave sleeping dragons lie_ , he thinks, and tips his head back to enjoy the sunset.

* * *

“Fire Lord Zuko!”

Zuko leaps behind a bush. Hina stifles a laugh into her hand and straightens when the irate minister storms up to her. “Have you seen the Fire Lord? He was just here!”

“I’m afraid not, Minister,” she says with as much false sympathy she can muster. “He does like to visit the gardens, though, I can let him know you were looking for him if I see him.”

 _Don’t you dare_ , Zuko thinks – no, _prays_ , from his awkward crouch in the brambly bush. A leaf tickles his nose, and he fights the urge to sneeze or set it on fire. Both would give away his position, and he’ll take sitting in a patch of thorns over meeting with one of his ministers outside an actual meeting any day. Katara had pushed him to enforce workplace boundaries, and Zuko now takes them seriously when he doesn’t have anything urgent to do.

“Hmm.” The man walks away, muttering something under his breath, and Zuko waits for a good minute before he lets himself exhale with relief.

 _Then_ he sneezes.

Hina laughs out loud now. “The minister is gone, sir, you can leave the bush now.”

Zuko struggles to untangle himself from the brambles, batting at them carefully so that they don’t fall off from the carefully pruned bush or get holes in his robes, and his head gardener mercifully decides to help him. Once he’s out, he grins sheepishly at Hina.

“Thanks for covering for me.”

“Of course, sir,” she says with a smirk, which softens a moment later when she continues. “Would you like me to cut some of the fire lilies for your memorial, sir?”

Spirits, his staff knew him so well. Maybe it _is_ like Mahesh said; he runs the palace like a well-oiled machine. A clock, definitely, because Zuko is insanely good with remembering dates, as long as they’re not the romantic kind.

“Yeah,” he says, deflating. “It’s just… it’s still hard.”

Hina nods sympathetically – sincere, this time – and swiftly makes her way to the section of flowering plants. Zuko watches the leaves gently shifting on the trees as he waits and is surprised to find that Hina has not only brought the fire lilies, but – “Cherry blossoms? I thought it wasn’t flowering season yet.”

“Early blooms,” she explains. “You said earlier that they were his favourite.”

A lump forms in Zuko’s throat, and his eyes burn. “They were,” he mumbles. “Thanks, Hina.”

She bows to him and saves him from having to talk further. Zuko closes his eyes and breathes for a minute before carefully tucking away the flowers into his satchel. He draws up the hood of his cloak and slips out with the shadows, heading up to the edge of the caldera that houses the capital city. He swiftly sets up his memorial against a rock – _the_ rock, as he’s come to think of it, since he does this every year. It’s still the afternoon, and the sunlight bears down on him, bright and harsh. Normally, he’d bask in the light, but now he just wants to curl up in a shadow and let himself _feel_. It’s not like he can stop thinking – memories keep floating past his consciousness, bitter and sweet and happy and sad now that they’re gone, and Zuko presses the heels of his palms to his eyes.

He glances at the picture next to him. He’s not one for lighting incense, though it’s what most families would do when they mourn – Uncle does, he knows, but he can’t bring himself to do so.

He’d kept vigil the entire night upon hearing the news of Lu Ten’s death, sneaking out when the Fire Lord (and Azula) wouldn’t notice to this very boulder with nothing but his firebending and stood with a flame cupped in his palms until dawn. He’d ached horribly the next day and gotten enough scoldings for it, but all he can remember now is how _empty_ it had felt in the palace in the weeks following the announcement. Lu Ten had been off at the battlefront for two years, but he’d always written letters or sent back little trinkets that he thought Zuko might like.

“I wish you could see this,” he mutters into the air, tears sliding past his cheek. He makes no move to wipe them away.

The Fire Nation traditionally believes that one’s dead ancestors lived in the form of stars above the earth, watching over their descendants and family, protecting them from harm. Zuko doesn’t think about the second half – he can protect himself just fine – but he hopes that wherever Lu Ten is, he’s watching over him right now.

“You’d love it,” he continues. “I know I keep saying this, but this is exactly what the Fire Nation had the potential to be, back then.”

The flowers lie in a still bunch against Lu Ten’s portrait – Zuko had nagged him into getting a small painting years ago when they’d travelled together across the countryside – a few months before he’d left for war, but not so long ago that Zuko has forgotten. He’d also gotten a painting done of the two of them, and while Zuko isn’t in the habit of keeping paintings around, he has this one safe in a chest underneath the floorboards. He’ll take it with him when he steps down from his position, and think about framing it then.

Looking at the painting used to be painful, so he’d kept it somewhere safe and out of his own reach. Now, though, he just feels a deep-seated melancholy that rises every time he thinks of his cousin. Time may heal wounds, he thinks, but wounds don’t always disappear.

“People were dancing in the streets when I snuck out the other day,” he continues. He always rambles about the Fire Nation when he does this – there’s just so much to talk about, and Lu Ten had always been a great listener. “They never did that before. Sometimes I feel like all I’m doing is for nothing, even though my ministers are great, and then I see something like that.”

Zuko sighs. “You said that you wanted to become a fire-dancer that day, since I told you that they were the best firebenders. I wish we’d run away. I wish…”

There’s too much to wish for, and none of it to become real.

“Mom doesn’t like to visit the palace, but she writes a lot. I’ve told you about Kiyi, right? She’s great – she wants to study in Ba Sing Se University after she’s done with school, I’m so proud of her – and Azula’s been making great strides with her mental health. Everyone’s healing and growing, and…” Zuko’s not going to deny that he has healed as well – he’s come a long way from being a dramatic teenager with far too much unresolved trauma, and he doesn’t regret any decision he’s made between being crowned and now.

Perhaps he regrets trivial things, like eating Uncle’s mooncakes or drinking Jee’s tea, but he can’t say that he dislikes where he is now.

“I just wish you were here,” he says at last, because that’s really all there is to it, isn’t it?

He wishes his brother were here.

He sits on the edge of the caldera for a long time, watching the sun creep below the horizon and the moon rise into the night sky. The wind whips past his face as he picks up the picture and stray flowers, but Zuko thinks he hears the faintest whisper in the air – almost words, but not quite. Peace soothes his raw wounds, and the breeze settles into something more tranquil. Nights in the Fire Nation mainland are always much colder than the days, and it’s something that Zuko loves about the place. It’s something that Lu Ten used to love too – he remembers nights on a rooftop, sneaking out unnoticed and munching on moon peaches by the moonlight. A little poetic, if artless in thought.

And, sure, his cousin may not be with him right now, or perhaps he might be, but that doesn’t matter, because Zuko knows that he’ll see him one day, once he’s lived a full life.

He watches the horizon, and he feels content.

* * *

The first time Druk puffs out actual fire instead of smoke, he sets Zuko’s hair on fire. Thankfully, Zuko had grown around Azula, and putting out unfortunate fires before they can truly catch is still an instinct that has been ingrained into very bones out of necessity, so there’s no real damage, but his guards freak out a little nonetheless. Zuko doesn’t care about the singed hair, though – he’ll get yelled at by his hairdresser, who had it bad enough in the years following his coronation trying to get his hastily shorn hair into something halfway respectable and fitting for a ruler. It’s a small price to pay for witnessing something that hasn’t been seen in the last century.

(Yes, Uncle _had_ found the last dragons, but Ran and Shaw happened to be fully grown adults even when Uncle had been young. Zuko doubts that the dragons would have let their babies out around humans once they’d realised the danger of being hunted down, so he’ll appreciate the privilege of being around to catch Druk accidentally setting his hair on fire.)

Later, when his friends visit the Fire Nation with various excuses in tow, it’s all he talks about. They all coo at Druk with him for a bit when he shows off the tiny sparks he’s able to make, and the singular burst of flame that he can spit out, but their reactions recede to something reasonable while Zuko simply continues gushing about his baby dragon.

Sokka stares at him like he’s sprouted a second head, and when Zuko finally stops rambling long enough to take a breath, cuts in (and cuts him off effectively). “I don’t know how we were ever scared of you,” he says.

Toph barks out a laugh, digging her heels into his side painfully. They’re all used to Toph’s usual brand of rough affection, though, so he barely reacts. “Speak for yourself. I was never scared of Sunshine.”

“You weren’t there initially, but you didn’t miss much,” Aang assures her.

Katara snorts. “I mean, there was a little more shouting and general dramatics, but Aang’s right. I caught up on the plays you recommended me, and now I want to know whether you really picked a monologue from _The Mystery of the Caldera City Murders_ to recite when you–”

“Katara, _no_ –”

“I want to hear this,” Toph shushes him gleefully.

“Back when you tied me to a tree,” the waterbender finishes smugly. Suki starts to cackle when she puts the scene together, and Sokka chokes on a sip of tea.

“I hate you all,” Zuko announces, trying not to smile. “Those were dark times; I don’t like thinking about them. And anyway, it wasn’t from _The Mystery of the Caldera City Murders_ , it was from _Sailor’s Revenge_ , which is an infinitely superior play: it’s got better writing, more diversity, and–”

“See, this is what I mean,” Sokka says, once he stops spluttering, “we all know you now and see you as you are: a fully formed dork. Gets mad if you don’t over-spice everything you eat, memorises theater scrolls, likes to feed the turtleducks, occasionally gossips with your own staff–”

“So you _don’t_ want any more updates on palace gossip, is what you’re saying?”

“No, no, I want to know whether Kai got together with his mysterious crush yet. Now that things are mostly settled in the South Pole, this is kind of the most interesting thing happening, other than wedding planning for Dad and Bato.”

“One, it’s Li, as in _my advisor_ , and two, they’re both pining _so_ hard for each other. I’m planning on staging a crisis just to get them together,” Zuko laments.

Toph tilts her head, considering. She kicks Zuko’s shin to get his attention, and he scowls ineffectually at her.

“What?”

“I guess you could,” she suggests.

“Could what?”

“Fake a crisis. Do what you did last time, you ran away for two days and returned with a dragon. Run away for a few days, or something. They’ll assume that it’s something stressing you out, and they’ll have to put together plans to cover for you when you’re gone. At least it’ll get them talking.”

“With my kind of luck, Kai’ll start talking to _Surya_ instead,” Zuko says dryly, but brightens. “I can send Surya on leave while I’m gone, he mentioned something about some family gathering…”

“It’s his cousin’s wedding, dummy,” Toph cuts in. “Send him off early, say that he can’t miss something that important and it’s good to be there on all the days of the wedding,. Maybe tell them to pass on the Fire Lord’s blessing, I guess.”

“That’s brilliant, Toph! Spirits, I’ve been meaning to visit Master Piandao for a while, I could travel down to Shu Jing for a few days. He’ll make sure no one knows I’m there, so it won’t be too bad.”

“I think this might be the most planning you’ve ever done,” Katara marvels. “And it’s for getting two of your staff together.”

Zuko hurls a pillow at her face. She ducks and chuckles when it smacks Sokka instead. The man cries out indignantly and throws it back at Zuko, missing wildly and hitting Toph. The whole room stills and waits for her reaction, but she only tugs it onto her lap and holds it securely.

“For someone who keeps bragging about your boomerang, you have awful aim,” she teases, and the yelling resumes, with Sokka vehemently defending his skills by citing all the hunting he’s done over the years, at which point Katara starts shouting back about how it was only a recent development, and Aang tries to be heard over the yelling as he attempts to calm them all down.

Zuko makes sure that Druk doesn’t wake up from all the noise, but he’s curled up completely into a protective lump that blocks out any sounds that could reach him. Druk only ever does this around Zuko, and every time Zuko thinks about it, his feelings go all mushy and soft. He _likes_ taking care of Druk, likes having someone depend on him in a way that’s personal and not dependent on State decisions he has to make or approve. He can see what his Uncle meant all those years ago when he’d confessed that taking care of Zuko during his banishment had helped him slowly recover from his grief and depression.

He turns back to his friends, a shout already at the tip of his tongue, and can’t help but think of how much he loves them all.

* * *

As planned, Zuko sneaks out of the palace one night after dismissing Surya for a few days and heads off to Shu Jing. He borrows his ostrich-horse from the stables, of course, so people know that he wasn’t kidnapped. He’s the only one in the palace who regularly approaches the creature anyway, and he’s been meaning to let her out a bit more. It’s not like there are any major security threats around the Fire Nation any longer, after all – and his guards are more than competent enough, as former Yuyan Archers.

(He still freaks out a little every time he remembers that the _Yuyan Archers_ are his guards. Sue him, his ten-year-old self would be over the moon with joy if he knew where Zuko was right now.)

“Shh, Druk,” he mumbles when his dragon protests having to move from around Zuko’s torso. “It’s only for a little while, until we reach Master Piandao’s estate.”

Druk chirps but waits for Zuko to mount the ostrich-horse before he settles in the saddle next to Zuko, coiling up against his stomach and clearly leeching off the heat. Zuko grins down fondly at the hatchling, wondering if this was how Aang generally felt about Momo doing, well, literally anything. The ride is mostly silent, and Zuko is careful to leave a tangible trail until he leaves the palace grounds, carefully taking the path that cuts directly to the forests of Shu Jing instead of going the long way around.

It’s dawn when he arrives at the border of the town, and while Piandao knows to expect him, he doesn’t want to disturb the man at such an hour, so he lets his steed rest and meditates for a while, soaking in the sunrays like he hasn’t been able to recently, with a few urgent issues that had needed his involvement.

A loud noise breaks apart his concentration, though, and it takes Zuko a while to place it for what it is – the cry of a baby. A human one, not a woodland creature or even Druk, who had, by now, started to flap his wings agitatedly, clearly alert and listening for another sound to pierce the air. Zuko gingerly stands as well, readying himself for a fight – no one would bring a baby this deep into the forest for nothing, and he’s not going to stand by while a _kidnapping_ takes place when he could prevent it–

A young, hooded figure bursts into the clearing, holding a squirming bundle in their arms. Zuko stares at them, too surprised to move, and clearly the figure feels the same way because they stand, rigid, until another cry from the baby startles them both into action. The figure quickly kneels down and places the baby on a soft, moss-covered rock before bowing to him and walking away swiftly.

In the few moments that Zuko’s brain catches up, he’s already moved forward to snatch up the baby in his arms and run towards the hooded figure.

“Wait!”

The figure halts, but doesn’t turn back.

“I’m not sure – you can’t just abandon a baby in the woods like that,” he exclaims.

The figure exhales shakily, but replies loud enough for him to hear: “I haven’t abandoned the child. You were here, weren’t you?”

And with that, they melted into the shadows.

* * *

“Zuko, it’s good to see you again,” Piandao greets warmly, reaching out to embrace him. He’s taken to visiting his old teacher since he’d been crowned, and the two of them have grown closer past his lessons. Zuko’s about to reply with a simple _hi_ , but the bundle in his arms seems to sense another person entering their space and wails loudly, startling both men into inaction.

Piandao stares at the bundle, and then at Zuko. Back at the bundle.

“When did you–”

“This morning? Um, some random person left them in the forest but when I confronted them about abandoning the baby, they just said, “ _I’m not abandoning them_.” What is that supposed to mean?”

“Um–”

“And I don’t know how to deal with babies, but I remember that you’re better with kids, so I thought I might as well ask you what to do, I’m sorry if that’s bothering you, though, I can just–”

“Breathe, kid,” Piandao reminds, and Zuko gasps in a breath, looking a little overwhelmed now. “Let’s get inside, and then we’ll talk?”

Zuko nods and steps inside, pausing for a moment when he remembers something. “Oh, by the way, do you mind if Druk stays out in the training grounds? He gets a little nervous in new spaces, and he won’t set fire to anything, not even on accident.”

“Sure,” Piandao replies, slightly amused. “I’ll take the child, we need to know if they’ve been fed and cared for.”

“I don’t–”

“I’ll take care of it,” he assures the man, gently lifting the baby from his arms. “Jeong Jeong’s been meaning to talk to you about dragon fire for a while, so you can calm down and entertain him for a while.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” Zuko asks, but heads into the drawing room anyway. Piandao tugs back the blanket a little to reveal the baby’s face and smiles down at the curious child.

He hasn’t wanted kids of his own, never in his early childhood and especially since he’d left the orphanage after having to take care of the younger children for years when the staff were overwhelmed (or couldn’t be bothered), and he’s lucky enough that Jeong Jeong shares that opinion. However, he’s not averse to babysitting every so often, as he’s wont to do if his students arrive with a younger sibling in tow, or a friend that wants to learn but is far too young to have the sort of dexterity that the forms demand. As it is, he’s sure that he’s the most equipped person at the moment who can assess the state of the yet-unnamed baby in his arms.

When he returns, he finds Zuko concentrating hard and shaping rainbow-coloured flames into different shapes as Jeong Jeong calls them out.

“I see you’re being productive,” he says dryly, not missing the way the firebenders look up and brighten at his entrance. The flame disappears from Zuko’s open palms, and Piandao hands over the child to his old student, watching amusedly when Zuko nervously shifts to hold her properly, supporting her head and everything.

“She’s perfectly healthy,” he declares, settling down next to his husband. “I assume that her parents – or parent, which… might be more likely in this case, are probably unable to care for the child and hoped for the best.”

“We have systems in place for that,” Zuko says with a frown. He doesn’t seem to even realise the slight rocking of his arms, Piandao notes with an inward grin. “I know that orphanages used to be pretty terrible, and while they’re not the best now, they’re a lot better about it. They could have found her an adoptive parent instead of leaving her in the woods!”

Jeong Jeong shrugs. “From what I’m getting here, I think they did.”

Zuko opens his mouth to presumably ask what he meant, and closes it again. He stares down at the baby once more, now resting silently (sleeping, Piandao amends) with a small fist clutching her blanket. The uncertain expression doesn’t leave him when he looks back up at the older men.

“I don’t know…”

“It’s up to you,” Piandao says mildly. “It’s a pretty big decision to make, even on impulse. _But_ , your judgement can be pretty good, so I think you shouldn’t overthink it.”

“That – what–”

“Think just the right amount,” Jeong Jeong offers, actually helpful for once. “Are you in the right condition to be taking on such a responsibility right now, and will you be prepared to _fully_ commit to it if you do? You’ll have to make a lot of arrangements if you mean to adopt the kid, and I don’t just mean legally and politically. But if you’re certain that that’s what you want, don’t try to change your mind.”

Zuko frowns a little, and remains silent for a few moments, clearly mulling it over. Piandao waits patiently for his reaction, not showing one of his own and quietly making conversation with his husband. Finally, though, Zuko speaks up.

“Her?” he asks hesitantly, and they all know that he’s made up his mind.

“Her,” Piandao confirms with a grin. “Unless she decides otherwise in the future, of course.”

Zuko laughs a little hysterically, but the slightly dazed expression softens when he looks down at the sleeping child. “I think I want to adopt her,” he says. “I don’t know why, and it’s so sudden, but I think it’s what I want to do.”

Piandao smiles at the young Fire Lord. “Then you’re free to do it. It takes a while for some people to come to terms with their choice, and for others it’s as quick as a hummingbird-bee.”

Zuko exhales loudly and nods. “Yeah. _Yeah_. It’s just… I don’t know much about babies in general?” He flushes a little. “I was only two when Azula was born, and I don’t think I remember much of her infancy.”

“You’ll have my help when you need it, of course,” Piandao assures him. “And I’m certain that your staff would love to assist you as well.”

Zuko blinks at the mention of his staff and laughs. “Spirits, between this and Kai, there’ll be enough gossip fodder for the next six months,” he says.

“What happened to Kai?” Jeong Jeong asks, because he loves hoarding gossip more than the old ladies in the market that cluster around stalls and block the way when Piandao actually wants to get done with a grocery run. Without a doubt, though, he’ll get waylaid each time because Jeong Jeong would stop and spur them on even more with things he hears when he travels.

“Nothing _happened_ to him,” Zuko clarifies. “Not yet, at least. Everyone’s hoping that he’ll get together with Li, which is why I’m here.”

Piandao blinks. “You ran away from the palace in an oddly convoluted plan to set up your guard with your advisor?”

“Was I not supposed to?”

Jeong Jeong laughs. “’Dao, I’ve only visited a few times to help Zuko with Druk, but even I could tell that they’ve got it bad from the few times I saw them together.”

“You’re a menace,” Piandao replies fondly. “But – Zuko, are you certain that it won’t cause security issues or panic among your staff?”

“I told Surya to take a few days off, so he won’t know until he’s back. Uh, the cooks and other staff know, and I told the guards something vague about not worrying if I’m missing for the next few days. Also, Mai said she’d handle the questions until I’m back, because she wants to watch it go down in person.”

“Of course she did,” Piandao mutters. His old student might not stir as much chaos as Zuko or Sokka, but he knows that she’d love to be a live audience for something like this.

“I think the bigger question here is what you’re going to name the baby,” Jeong Jeong interrupts. Zuko’s eye widens.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” he admits. “I didn’t… um.”

“You can take some time if you’d like,” Piandao offers, glaring at his husband. “some families don’t name their children until a week after they’re born.”

“I – I know it won’t be a family name, I don’t want – _that_. I guess it’ll come to me eventually?”

“As all things seem to.”

* * *

When Zuko returns to the palace, Druk curled protectively around him and his daughter, the reception he receives is a little wilder than he’d expected. He hisses at them to be quieter, since the baby had just fallen asleep, and they all listen immediately.

“Only you, Sparky,” Toph chortles. Mai snickers behind her, and Ty Lee coos over the sleeping infant. Unfortunately, Sokka, Katara and Aang had already left for Kyoshi Island with Suki, so they’d have to wait a few days to get the news.

“What?”

“Only you would take _two_ life-changing field trips and adopt a kid each time. How did you even find the baby this time? I know Druk hatched for you, but this seems a little _too_ coincidental.”

Zuko explains how he’d found her in the woods, and Toph’s smirk dims a little.

“And they thought you’d just adopt her like that?”

“I did, so it’s not terrible, but… yeah, if I hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have happened to her.”

Mai looks livid at the thought. “The foster systems are in place for a reason, if they’d contacted people who could help them, they could have–”

“I think it’s really rare. That cloak they wore looked like it had been through a lot, so I’m assuming they were from somewhere outside the region and not actually from Shu Jing. I’m guessing outer islands? We haven’t actually inspected those parts of the Fire Nation for their infrastructure, so I’m going to go ahead and assume that they don’t have the best services yet, and they might have been travelling somewhere else to get help, but decided that I could take care of things.”

Her frown deepens. “I’ll look into it, Fire Lord,” she assures him.

“Thank you, Minister Mai.”

She relaxes, and Ty Lee kisses her on the cheek. “So, Zuko, what’s her name, and how did you get to it?”

Zuko grins. “We were only there for a few days, but she’d always want to go down to the gardens behind Piandao’s estate. She really loved the _jaathi_ flowers, I think it was something about the smell, so we sat by the fountain a lot while talking.”

“By ‘we’, you mean you, Piandao and Jeong Jeong?”

He affirms this with a nod. “And I guess it hit me then, ‘cause I was also thinking that I don’t want a traditional Fire Nation name for her–”

“Ozai would _hate_ that,” Mai interrupts gleefully, and Zuko nods eagerly.

“Yes, exactly – so I thought – what would piss him off the most but also be a nice name, and then I looked at the fountain, and it clicked.”

“Sparky, get to the point,” Toph complains. “Did you name the kid _fountain_ or something?”

Zuko pointedly does not reply. Toph starts to say something else, and stops abruptly. Her brows rise to her hairline, and she starts cackling again.

“I can’t _believe_ you,” she chortles. “You’re as bad as Sokka.”

“I hate you, Toph,” he grumbles. “Her name isn’t _fountain_ , by the way, that’s just what it means. She’s called Izumi.”

“I think it’s cute,” Ty Lee offers, though she’s giggling as she says it. “Absolutely something that Ozai would hate, by the way, I’m really proud of you for that.”

“Thank you, Ty Lee,” he says dramatically. “At least someone in this house appreciates me.”

“It _is_ pretty sweet,” Mai admits, and Zuko stares at her open admission. “But Toph has a point. Between _Hawky_ and _Druk_ , I’m surprised we haven’t banned the two of you from naming things – or people – anymore.”

It’s a little fitting, he thinks later, that his return to the palace is announced by the verbal scuffle that breaks out after that comment.

* * *

“Did Kai ever actually get together with Li?” Sokka asks one day, propping himself up on one elbow. They’ve taken to stargazing together, whenever they find themselves in the same place. Zuko likes stargazing with Sokka, just as much as he likes spinning yarn with Aang, or embroidering with Katara, or sparring with Suki, or experimenting with his bending with Toph.

It’s something between them, for the two of them with no one else involved (except Izumi, who’s allowed to do whatever she likes), and Zuko finds that it keeps him looking forward to meeting his friends individually – he loves when they’re all together, but it’s nice to share something private with each of them as well. It feels less alone when there’s something to do, even if it is as simple as lying on the ground and watching the sky.

Zuko nods, careful not to jostle the sleeping five-year-old on his torso.

“Yeah, he did. They got talking when they had to deal with my leaving unannounced, and a week or so after I came back, Li asked Kai out on a date.”

Sokka whistles. “Fast,” he comments.

Zuko laughs. “It took me by surprise too. Apparently seeing the guy you like blush every time you’re both in the same room or look at each other can be hint enough that he likes you back.”

“Happy endings all around, huh,” Sokka says, turning back to look at the star-dotted sky.

It’s taken a long way to get here, Zuko muses, and he’s used to fighting for what he wants. But now that he actually _has_ what he wants, he feels content, at peace. Perhaps this was what Uncle had been getting at every time he talked about the tea shop. And it’s not like Uncle was _wrong_ , but Zuko hadn’t known what he’d wanted before, and even now, he gets surprised on the daily. Izumi herself had been a delightful surprise, and one he can appreciate for the gift that she is.

“Happy endings all around,” Zuko echoes.

**Author's Note:**

> Zuko's question about prioritizing romance and work comes from that one time I thought I was biromantic (turns out I'm an oriented aro) and had a small crisis over the same thing. Also, yes, he does stay good friends with his exes, and yes, I wrote this whole fic while listening to Mamma Mia on repeat.
> 
>  _Jaathi_ ('jaa' like in 'jar' and 'thee' like the old English word for 'you') flowers are called pink jasmine in English, and today I learned while finding the translation for it that they're native to China and Myanmar! I've heard other Indian families call them _jaathi malli_ , but I'm used to calling it by the first word alone. They smell amazing, and they're really great to wear in your hair for festivities!
> 
> About the random figure that 'abandoned' Izumi: Zuko (and incidentally the rest) only know that this person was willing to leave the child to a random stranger, but in my mind, the whole story was that they couldn't keep the child for ~reasons~ and thought that they'd find a place to keep her safe in the mainland of the Fire Nation. However, while crossing the forest around Shu Jing, they run into Zuko and feel that he's responsible enough to at least contact the proper authorities even if he doesn't actually adopt her. The people that Zuko tells this to don't know the whole story either, so they're all a little biased in their account.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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